SEA-LNG, the industry coalition representing producers and users of liquefied natural gas, has urged the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy to protect the mass-balance terminal chain of custody ahead of an anticipated regulatory review in 2026.
In a submission highlighted in a The report dated 10 September 2026, SEA-LNG stressed the importance of safeguarding the mechanism that traces biomethane equivalents through liquefaction and terminal operations. The call came as attention turns to expected proposed revisions to the implementing framework for the Renewable Energy Directive, commonly referred to as RED III.
Report focus and scope
SEA-LNG set out its position in a report titled "Liquefaction by Equivalence Pathways for Liquefied Biomethane: A Policy Framework ...", which the coalition presented as a basis for discussion with regulators. The document frames liquefaction by equivalence as a pathway relevant to liquefied biomethane, and it seeks to influence how that pathway is treated within the RED III implementing rules.
The coalition’s intervention is timed to reach the Directorate-General for Energy before the Commission advances its revisions, which SEA-LNG and its members view as likely to determine how liquefied biomethane is counted and certified within the EU regulatory framework. The group’s briefing, as reported, emphasises the terminal chain of custody under a mass-balance approach rather than other tracking arrangements.
Timing and regulatory context
The report and the representation to DG ENER were published and publicised on 10 September 2026 by reports. SEA-LNG’s plea comes amid a regulatory process the coalition regards as consequential for industry practice and for the viability of equivalence pathways for liquefied biomethane.
SEA-LNG framed its submission as policy input and provided a structured report intended to inform the Commission’s work on RED III implementing measures. The organisation describes the document as a policy framework addressing how liquefaction by equivalence could be integrated into the EU’s renewable fuels architecture.
The timing of the submission reflects the industry strategy of engaging at the drafting stage of implementing rules, when technical definitions and chain-of-custody arrangements are being settled. SEA-LNG made its views public through the reports item, which summarised the coalition’s request to DG ENER and noted the pending nature of proposed RED III revisions in 2026.
SEA-LNG’s report title, as cited in the coverage, indicates a focus on equivalence pathways for liquefied biomethane and on how liquefaction processes are recognised under renewable energy legislation. The coalition presented that material to the EU institution charged with the energy portfolio in advance of the formal consultation and drafting milestones attributed to the implementing framework.
The reports item serves as the public record of SEA-LNG’s call as of 10 September 2026, reporting the coalition’s appeal to the Directorate-General for Energy to protect the mass-balance terminal chain of custody. The article notes the expected timing of Commission proposals but does not set out the text of any forthcoming regulatory amendment.
SEA-LNG characterised its report as a policy framework; the coverage identifies the paper’s topic and its circulation to DG ENER. Beyond that, the published summary records the coalition’s request and the alignment of the submission with the Commission’s anticipated work on RED III implementing rules later in 2026.
The issue has been placed before EU officials and will now proceed through the Commission’s internal processes; SEA-LNG’s paper and the reports summary together document the industry position and its timing relative to the RED III review schedule.